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Undercurrent

@undercurrent_maine

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Undercurrent is a space for artists and thinkers to share ideas, practices, and perspectives through intimate conversation and creative exchange.

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Last Monday, Virginia Valdes @vivavaldes guided our final Undercurrent conversation on Voice at MECA @mecaart in Portland.

The moderator has become such an important part of these gatherings. Each brings their own way of listening, asking, and making space for the conversation to move organically.

We’re grateful to Virginia for holding this one with such thoughtfulness and openness, and to all of the artists who joined us around the circle.

We’ll be sharing the audio recording from the conversation soon, along with photographs from the evening.

This gathering closed our first series of conversations around Voice. Next, Undercurrent turns toward a new question: Stability.

—-
1. The artist/moderator
2. “My work primarily deals with illusions, the denial of lived experiences, and the rifts we create with the natural environment.” Virginia Valdes by @undercurrent_maine

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11 days ago

Contributor | Voice 5 | September 2026

Amy Pierce @xoxoamypierce
Interdisciplinary artist and researcher, multimedia content
creator, and educator
Orono, ME

Amy’s work explores:
Ritual, roles, identity

Image 1: the artist (performance still from 2017 work Tear Piece)
Image 2: In Advance of a Residency Rejection, 2019
paintbrush, glitter glue, glitter, heart gems, 6 x .5 x .5 inches taken in MECA Maine College Of Art by @undercurrent_maine

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17 days ago

Contributor | Voice 5 | September 2026

Emilie Stark-Menneg @emiliestarkmenneg
Painting
Harpswell, ME

Emilie’s work explores:
Ritual, body, meta-reality

Image 1: Studio Portrait, Photo Credit: Tara Rice / Down East Magazine
Image 2: “Tourmaline”, 2026, acrylic and glitter on canvas, 80”x85” taken in Maine College of Art & Design by @undercurrent_maine

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19 days ago

Contributor | Voice 5 | September 2026

Jodi Ferry @saudadeflore
Installation, sculpture
Portland, ME

Jodi’s work explores:
Floral design

Image 1: the artist
Image 2: ‘Sacred’ installation, 2025 taken in Maine College of Art & Design by @undercurrent_maine

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19 days ago

Contributor | Voice 5 | September 2026

Carla Weeks @carlajweeks
Painting
Arrowsic, ME

Carla’s work explores:
Place, memory, sensation

Image 1: the artist
Image 2: ‘Denture Factory’, 17.5”x20”, oil on linen, 2024 taken in Maine College of Art & Design by @undercurrent_maine

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21 days ago

Contributor | Voice 5 | September 2026

Hillary Steinau @82pearl
Painting
Camden, ME

Hillary’s work explores:
Observation, imagination, memory

Image 1: the artist
Image 2: Orkideh, 2025, monoprint on acid-free paper, 10x10 inches taken in Maine College of Art & Design by @undercurrent_maine

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22 days ago

Contributor | Voice 5 | September 2026

Maxwell Nolin @maxwellnolinart
Painting
Belfast, ME

Max’s work explores:
Portraiture, realism

Image 1: the artist
Image 2: “Phoenix”, Oil on wood panel, 24 x 24 inches taken in Maine College of Art & Design by @undercurrent_maine

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a month ago

Contributor | Voice 5 | September 2026

Ingrid Ellison @paintinginthebarn
Painting
Camden, ME

Ingrid’s work explores:
observation, place, abstraction

Image 1: the artist in conversation with a whole lot of fragments Residency at Castle HIll, Truro November 2025
Image 2: Shrouds of Rain, 11x17”, 2026, ink, textile, silver leaf, gold leaf, glitter, collage on paper taken in Maine College of Art & Design by @undercurrent_maine

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a month ago

On September 28, Undercurrent will hold its final conversation on Voice at the Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D) @mecaart in Portland.

Moderated by Virginia Valdes @vivavaldes, this private gathering will bring together a group of artists and participants for the final dialogue in our exploration of Voice.

We’re grateful to MECA&D for hosting this conversation and look forward to sharing more about the participants in the coming days.

September 28, 2026
Maine College of Art & Design
Portland, Maine by @undercurrent_maine

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a month ago

The recording (link in bio) of our fourth Undercurrent dialogue on Voice is now available on our website.

Over the course of these four conversations, we’ve been struck by how much the discussion changes with each group of participants. The same theme returns, but the conversation never does. Each gathering reveals different questions, stories, tensions, and ways of understanding the world.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this ongoing exploration.

Voice 4

Moderator:
Chip Barchilon @chipbarchilon

Contributors:
Sabine stxrm @stealingfrmsabine
Jamie Kruse & Elizabeth Ellsworth @observatorybelfast
Jane Love @judgygarland
Wills Phillips @itchyfingersmake

Support:
Amy Tingle @tingle

Location:
Pascal Hall @pascalhall86 taken in Pascal Hall by @undercurrent_maine

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4 months ago

Contributor | Voice 4 | June 2026

Wills Phillips @itchyfingersmake
Sculpture
Portland, ME

Wills’ work explores:
Body, material, and place

Image 1: the artist
Image 2: Sphinx, 2025, Cow skull, glass, epoxy paste, bass wood, steel, 58” x 16” x 22” taken in Pascal Hall by @undercurrent_maine

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4 months ago

Contributor | Voice 4 | June 2026

Jane Love @judgygarland
Portland, ME

Image 1: the artist
Image 2: Green Snake, 2018, paint on wood, screws, wire
9’x8” taken in Pascal Hall by @undercurrent_maine

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4 months ago